Shedeur Sanders Wins Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award

BALTIMORE – Senior Shedeur Sanders was named the recipient of the 2024 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, presented by A.O. Smith, given to the nation's top quarterback who best exemplifies character, scholastic and athletic achievement, the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Educational Foundation announced Friday.

Entering Friday's game with Oklahoma State, Sanders has led the 8-3 Buffaloes with one of the top seasons in CU history, completing 303-of-413 passes (73.4%) for 3,448 yards with 30 touchdowns and just 7 interceptions, while also leading the Buffaloes with four rushing touchdowns. Among his many accomplishments this season, he…

Became the first quarterback to throw 30 touchdown passes, setting a new CU record.
Broke his own record for touchdowns responsible for (passing and rushing) with 34.
Set a new record with 3,488 passing yards in a regular season, and is just 39 yards away from CU's overall season record.
Became the second quarterback to complete 300 passes in a season, currently with 303.
Is on pace to break his only completion percentage record. His current mark of 73.4% is four percentage points higher than his school record of 69.4 last season, which broke the previous school record by four percentage points.
Is on pace to break his own QB rating mark and his 164.89 mark is 12 points higher than his school record from last season.
Has thrown for 250-plus yards in 10 of his 11 games, setting a CU record by two games.
Has six 300-yards games, a new CU record.
Has thrown two touchdowns in 10 of 11 games, a new CU record.
Has thrown three-plus touchdowns in seven games, a new CU record.
Has thrown four-plus touchdowns in three games, one behind his record of four from last season.
Has completed 60 percent of his passes in all 11 games, 70 percent in seven games and 80 percent in three games, all new CU records.

Sanders is the 10th player and this is the 12th major college football award for the Colorado Buffaloes, and along with Travis Hunter winning the Paul Hornung Award last year, just the second player in the last 21 seasons to win an award.

Alfred Williams was the first CU player to win a major award, winning the Butkus Award in 1990 and in 1992, Deon Figures won the Thorpe Award and Jim Hansen won the William V. Campbell Award, the Academic Heisman. In 1994, Chris Hudson joined Figures with the Thorpe Award the same season that Rashaan Salaam put together one of the most memorable seasons in CU history winning the Heisman Trophy, Walter Camp Trophy and Doak Waler Award. In 1996, Matt Russell gave CU its second Butkus winner and then in 2001 Daniel Graham won the John Mackey ward and Mark Mariscal the Ray Guy Award in 2002.

Sanders is also one of three finalists for the Davey O'Brien Award and the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award and a semifinalist for the Manning Award. He also made it to the semifinalist stage for the Maxwell and Walter Camp Player of the Year Awards.

Hunter meanwhile is a finalist for six major college football awards this season, including the Walter Camp Award and the Maxwell Award for national player of the year, the Bednarik and Lott IMPACT Trophy, both awards for defensive player of the year, the Biletnikoff Award, given to the nation's best receiver regardless of position, and the Hornung Award, given to the nation's most versatile player.

Both Hunter and Sanders are candidates for the Heisman Trophy, finalists of which will be announced December 9.

The candidates for the Unitas Golden Arm Award are selected by the distinguished Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Selection Committee, a group of prominent college football journalists, commentators, announcers, and former players. The award annually recognizes the top senior or upperclassman quarterback set to graduate with their class. Candidates are chosen based on player performance on-and-off the field.

Giving life to the commitment to give back, the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Educational Foundation, Inc. and presenting sponsor A.O. Smith continue to promote football on all levels by providing financial aid to deserving young scholar athletes.

Sharing a tradition of innovation with Johnny Unitas, who invented football's two-minute drill, A.O. Smith has been an innovator in its industry for 150 years. What began as a small machine shop in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1874, has evolved into a leading global water technology company committed to improving the lives of its customers by ensuring access to clean, safe, hot water.

Players Mentioned

Travis Hunter

Shedeur Sanders

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